Having lost 300,000 acres of farmland since 2002, North Carolina strengthens laws to preserve farms

In the booming counties around Charlotte and other North Carolina cities, farms have given way to new subdivisions. The process has been playing out in other parts of country, but North Carolina has seen the most dramatic losses of farmland. As a result, the state is taking action to preserve farms by creating development-free agricultural districts, reports Bruce Henderson of The Charlotte Observer.

Since 2002, North Carolina has lost 6,000 farms and 300,000 acres of farmland, which the state's Agriculture Department says is more than any other state in that time. The state already had agricultural districts where farmers voluntarily agree to keep their land undeveloped, but starting in 2005, the state created a stronger version of the system. In these new seven new districts, four in counties around Charlotte, "farmers agree not to sell their land to developers for at least a decade," Henderson writes. "In return, the farmers are eligible for a higher percentage of state conservation grants. They're also less likely to get unsolicited purchase offers from developers."

At the same time, the state legislature earmarked $8 million annually for the restructured Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund. Those in favor of the preservation plan argue that it's cheaper for counties to pay for development rights rather than encourage development, they say means building roads, schools, etc. (Read more)